1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-processing computer system for a photogrammetric analytical measurement, in which a survey map is electronically produced on the basis of a pair of photographed pictures which are obtained at two different photographing positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, photogrammetry is carried out at a traffic accident spot. The traffic accident spot is photographed by an electronic still video digital camera in at least two different positions, and a survey map of the traffic accident spot is produced on the basis of a pair of photographed pictures obtained at the different positions, as disclosed in, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications No.10-221072 and No.10-293026.
Before accurately scaled distances and lengths can be reproduced on the survey map, a standard measurement scale, which is usually called a target, must be recorded together with the photographed objects in the pictures. The target is disclosed in, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications No.10-141951, No.10-170263, No.10-185562, No.10-185563, No.10-293026 and No.10-307025.
For the production of the survey map, a two-dimensional coordinate system is defined on each of the pictures, and two-dimensional positions of the objects, which are recorded on each picture, are determined by the two-dimensional coordinate system. Then, a three-dimensional coordinate system is defined on the target, and three-dimensional positions of the recorded objects are calculated based on the two-dimensional positions of the objects with respect to the three-dimensional coordinate system. Thus, it is possible to produce a survey map by projecting the three-dimensional coordinates, representing the objects, on one of the three planes defined by the three-dimensional system. Of course, the production of the survey map is performed using an image-processing computer system.
For example, to produce a long portion of a roadway as a survey map, it is necessary to obtain plural pairs of pictures to cover the length of the roadway, and the target must be moved from one position to another position in the length of the roadway. In this case, a survey map section is produced on the basis of each pair of pictures, and the survey map is obtained by successively connecting the survey map sections to each other.
Preferably, a series of photographing operations for the photogrammetric measurement should be performed in order, so that a pair of pictures for producing a survey map section can be more easily selected and recognized from among a plurality of pictures obtained by the series of photographing operations.
Nevertheless, during the series of photographing operations for the photogrammetric measurement, an additional photographing operation may be frequently performed to photograph and record, for example, evidence or circumstances concerning the traffic accident that are not associated with the measurement. Of course, the intervention of the additional photographing operation results in a disruption to the proper order of the photographing operations for the measurement. Furthermore, in reality, the photographing operations for the measurement may not be consecutively performed for various reasons.
Therefore, it is necessary to rearrange the pictures for the photogrammetric measurement, before each pair of pictures required to produce a survey map section can be efficiently and easily fixed as a matching pair.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an image processing computer system for a photogrammetric analytical measurement, which is constituted such that matching pictures required for the measurement can be easily and efficiently rearranged to facilitate the correct combination for producing a survey map section.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an image processing computer system for a photogrammetric analytical measurement in which a survey map is produced on the basis of plural pairs of pictures photographed at different positions, each picture featuring a photographed target.
In the image processing computer system according to an aspect of the invention, a memory stores plural frames of image data for producing the pictures, and an image-data-reading controller reads the plural frames of image data from the memory in a predetermined order such that two consecutive frames of image data are handled as forming a pair of pictures. A monitor displays two pictures in each pair side by side thereon to rearrange the displayed pictures such that two pictures displayed side by side forms a proper pair for producing a survey map section, and a determination system determines whether respective two pictures displayed side by side are defined as left-hand and right-hand pictures or right-hand and left-hand pictures with respect to the targets photographed thereon, whereby respective left-hand and right-hand pictures in each pair are displayed at left and right sides on the monitor.
In the image processing computer system according to another aspect of the present invention, a first monitor controller displays respective two pictures in each pair side by side on the left-hand and right-hand display areas of the picture-arranging display area, a second monitor controller transfers a displayed picture from the picture-arranging display area to the picture-shunting display area, and a third monitor controller returns the transferred picture from the picture-shunting display area to the picture-arranging display area such that the picture to be returned is displayed at a desired display location on the picture-arranging display area. The pictures, displayed on the picture-arranging display area, are rearranged using the second and third monitor controllers such that two pictures, displayed side by side on the left-hand and right-hand display areas of the picture-arranging display area, forms a proper pair for producing a survey map section. The first monitor controller has a determination system that determines whether respective two pictures displayed side by side are defined as left-hand and right-hand pictures or right-hand and left-hand pictures with respect to the targets photographed thereon, whereby respective left-hand and right-hand pictures in each pair are displayed on the left-hand and right-hand display areas of the picture-arranging display area.
The determination system may comprises a first calculation system that calculates respective photographing positions of the pictures displayed side by side with respect to coordinate systems defined on the photographed targets, a vector-definition system that defines respective two vectors directed from origins of the coordinate systems to the respective photographing positions, and a second calculation system that calculates an outer product of the two vectors, whereby the determination is performed by the determination system on the basis of whether the calculated outer product is positive or negative.
The respective two vectors are defined as first and second vectors derived from the two pictures in each pair which are consecutively read from the memory, and the outer product is calculated by the second calculation system as an outer product of the second vector to the first vector. When the outer product is positive, the respective two pictures, represented by the first and second vectors, are defined as the left-hand and right-hand pictures by the determination system. When the outer product is negative, the respective two pictures, represented by the first and second vectors, are defined as the right-hand and left-hand pictures by the determination system.
The memory may be a memory card. In this case, the image processing computer system further comprises a memory card reader in which the memory card is loaded. Also, the memory may be a working memory forming a part of the image processing computer system.